Freelancer in the Ninja World

In no time, Senshi had already materialized in front of the Root squad leader, a member of the Aburame clan judging by the insect jar on his back. Before the Aburame could unleash his poisonous bugs, Senshi swung a hand chopping down with a burst of Lightning Release chakra:

"Lightning Release: Horizontal Chop!"

With a roar, the man flew like a kite with a snapped string, crashing hard to the ground.

Ordinary Root operatives and mercenaries alike stood no chance. Senshi tore through them like a tiger among sheep, dispatching them swiftly. Mizunai watched the scene, pupils contracting in fear and shock. In his mind, Konoha shinobi—especially Danzo's agents—were invincible. Had he not witnessed it himself, he would never have believed Senshi could defeat them so effortlessly.

Swoosh—

A blur of motion, and Senshi was suddenly right before Mizunai, who stumbled back in alarm.

"W-what are you doing?!"

Faced with Senshi's horrifying strength, Mizunai trembled from head to toe, words tripping over his tongue. To his surprise, Senshi merely narrowed his eyes in a smile.

"You met up with those Konoha ninjas—so that means my escort mission is finished, right?"

Mizunai stared at that unsettling grin, chills creeping down his spine. He didn't know why Senshi would bring that up at a time like this. He only knew that his life was in Senshi's hands and he didn't dare argue. Nodding fervently, voice shaking, he said:

"Y-yes… The escort job is…complete."

"So, the payment?" Senshi pressed.

Mizunai frantically pointed to a carriage nearby.

"The money I promised you is on that wagon—three hundred thousand ryō. It's all there."

At his words, Senshi walked over to the carriage and found a heavy suitcase loaded with bills. The moment he picked it up, the system chimed in his head:

[Commission Completed!]

[Reward: 300 Commission Points]

Carrying the hefty case, Senshi slowly approached the large trunk. With a loud creak, he lifted the lid. Inside, the red-haired girl curled up like a frightened kitten—just as he'd suspected, it was indeed Karin.

Do I take her along or not?

He hesitated. Originally, he just wanted to boost his strength via system missions without meddling too much in "canon" events, especially ones tied to major plotlines. But after thinking it over, having Karin around might be useful, and perhaps it wouldn't change the overarching narrative too drastically. Moreover, with his immense chakra reserves, a physique comparable to the Raikage's, and a decent repertoire of jutsu, he'd have little trouble fending off Danzo's Wind Release and shuriken—though the Akatsuki would still be a headache.

Deciding on the spot, he hoisted Karin over his shoulder and swiftly left.

…

Meanwhile, Kakuzu had quietly returned—but this time, he wasn't alone. A pale-skinned, androgynous man in the same black robe with red clouds followed at his side. Kakuzu hadn't truly fled; he'd gone to seek backup. And he had never taken a loss like that quietly.

That man's skin was unnaturally white, his eyes as cold and narrow as a snake's. There was no doubt: he was one of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.

They raced through the forest at astonishing speed, the scenery zipping past as though someone had hit fast-forward. Orochimaru hissed as they ran:

"That wandering ninja…he's that Uzumaki Senshi from the Ame, correct?"

Ever since witnessing the power of Nagato's Rinnegan, Orochimaru had taken an interest in the Uzumaki clan. He and Danzo had an agreement to acquire several Uzumaki survivors. Ninjas like Senshi, who regularly took black-market jobs, were few in number and well-known.

Hearing Orochimaru's question, Kakuzu nodded slightly, eyes flickering with cold anger.

"Yes. It's him—Uzumaki Senshi. I underestimated him before. If not for his sudden interference, I would've completed my mission."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in slight surprise:

"You're telling me you weren't his match? Enough to warrant asking for my help?"

Kakuzu quickly clarified:

"Not that I can't beat him—only that the best move, given the battlefield conditions, was to withdraw and regroup. One-on-one, I might need a long fight to decide a winner, and I wasn't interested in a drawn-out battle. Two-on-one, though, we can take him down quickly. The real goal here is that shipment, requested by the client. A convoy that can hire someone like him must be transporting something extremely valuable. If we manage to seize it, our funding problems will be solved for a good while."

At the mention of "funding," Orochimaru's eyes glinted. In the Akatsuki, Kakuzu was the financial manager, always on the hunt for resources, while Orochimaru was consumed by his experiments—money was definitely useful. He idly asked:

"So, once we catch him, should we kill him?"

Kakuzu answered without hesitation:

"If possible, yes. That'll stop him from interfering again. But if we can't, driving him away is fine. Our focus is the convoy's goods, not him."

At that, Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully, lapsing into silence, likely scheming up some experimental ideas.

After racing for a while, both of them stopped in unison, staring intently at the scene ahead. The caravan's wagons stood motionless in the middle of the road, the guards sprawled around on the ground. Even more surprising, among the fallen were several Konoha shinobi.

"That's…Root?"

Orochimaru's narrow eyes flicked over the scene in mild surprise, while Kakuzu wore a confused frown of his own. However, he didn't dwell on it. Instead, his gaze shifted quickly to the wagons.

"Heh…"

A low, unsettling chuckle escaped him—a rare sight for someone usually so grim. The reason for his delight was obvious: this was a perfect example of "the sandpiper and the clam fight; the fisherman profits." Both the caravan's guards and the Konoha ninjas lay defeated, yet the wagons loaded with valuables remained.

"Tsk…"

Orochimaru's slit pupils constricted. He'd expected a tough battle, but upon arrival, discovered that Senshi was nowhere to be seen.